Flooring-clamp



(Ho muaex.

W. P. DAVIS. FLOORING CLAMP.

No. 515,660. Patented Feb. 27, 18.94.

WIZWESSES UNITED STATES PATENT FLOORING-CLAN] P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,660, dated February2'7, 1894.

Application filed April 27, 1893.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Newton, in the county of Harvey and State ofKansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFlooring-Clamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide a device for clampingfloor-boards in place and retaining them in position while being nailedto the joists-or beams; and the inven tion consists in the constructionand combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a perspective view showing the implement applied. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the archedframe, partly in section, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the slidewhich is adapted to engage with the board to be clamped in place.

A designates the main frame of the implement, the upper portion of whichis arched as shown. To the cross-pieces a, a of the. frame the mainlever B is pivotally attached. At one end of the arched portion of themain frame are formed laterally projecting members, G O,the ends ofwhich are bent down to engage the base-pieces D D of the implement,while the other end of the arch is supported upon the base-pieces bymeans of legs cl d, said legs being bolted to the arch by the 'boltwhich passes through the cross-pieces a a. At the intersection of themembers G O is formed or rigidly attached a spur, c, which is inclinedin the direction shown. This spur is adapted to be forced into the upperedge of a joist or beam to hold the implement thereon.

The base-pieces D D of the main frame are provided withoutwardly-projecting flanges E E, which form guides for a slide F, theends of said slide being bent around the flanges Serial No. 472,079. (Nomodel.)

as shown in Fig. 2. This slide is connected to the lever B by a rod G,said lever being pivoted between the cross-pieces a a of the main frame,as hereinbefore stated. The lever above its pivot is provided withanaperture which is adapted to receive the arch A so that said lever canbe moved upon the arch. To the lever is pivoted a locking-arm, H, bymeans of a link 71, and this lockingarm is also provided with anaperture to permit it to move upon the arched portion of the frame. Aspring, Z2, is interposed between the lever B and locking-arm H, nearthe upper-ends of the same, to force them apart. By this constructionwhen the upper ends of the lever andlocking-arm are grasped and broughttogether the lever will be permitted to be swung in either direction tomove the slide connected thereto, and the instant pressure is releasedupon the locking-arm it will be thrown away from the lever and the edgesof the aperture in said locking-arm will bite or grasp the archedportion of the frame and hold the lever against movement. By thisconstruction teeth, locking pawls, and equivalent devices, are dispensedwith and the minutest adjustment of the slide can be made. The slide Fconsists of a base-piece to which the connecting-rod G is attached, anda block I, the block being pivoted to an upwardly-projecting stud eformed on the base-piece so that the forward end of the same can beadjusted to and from the base-piece, said adjustment being made by aset-screw e which is encircled by a spring, as shown, to lift the plateI to the limit of its adjustment. The forward end of the plate I is cutaway centrally, as shown, to provide for driving the nails, and theforward end of this plate is also provided, on its under side, withrecesses which fit over lugs ff formed on the basepiece of the slide,these lugs relieving the pivot of some of the pressure which is broughtagainst the plate. The forward end of the plate is adjustable to andfrom the base-piece to suit the width of the tongue formed on the edgeof the floor-board, said tongue lying between these parts. Thebase-pieces D D of the frame are of such length that they will extendwell under the floor-boards which have been fastened in place, and theoperator by simply pressing upon the laterally-extending members 0 Cwill force the pin 'or spur c into the upper edge of the joist or beam,and when the implement is thus held against movement the lever B can bedrawn upon to operate the slide to force the fioorboard securely inplace, and after said floorboard has been nailed by simply pushing uponthe locking-arm H the slide can be withdrawn and the implement placed inposition to operate upon the next floor-board.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a clamping device for the purpose set forth, the combination, of aframe having an arched portion as shown, a lever pivoted to said frame,a locking-arm pivoted to the lever below its fulcrum, said locking-armhaving shoulders which engage with the arched portion of the frame, anda slide connected to the lever, substantially as shown, and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a flooring-clamp, the combination, of the base-piecesD D carryinga frame having a spur and an arched portion, a lever pivoted to thecross-pieces of the frame and provided with an aperture to receive thearched portion of the frame, a slide or clamp connected to said lever, alocking-arm apertured to receive the arched portion of the frame and toprovide shoulders which engage therewith, said locking-arm beingconnected to the lever 1 below its fulcrum by a link, and a spring forholding the lever and locking-arm separated, substantially as shown.

3. In a flooring-clamp constructed substantially as shown, thecombination, of the basepieces connected ,to each other by a frame, saidbase-pieces having projecting flanges upon which is mounted a slide,said slide being connected to a lever which is pivoted to the frame,substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a flooring-clamp, the combination, of a frame comprising an archedportion with continuous edges, depending members connected tobase-pieces and cross-pieces, a lever pivoted to the cross-pieces andprovided with an aperture which receives the arched portion of theframe, a slide connected to the lever by a rod, a locking-arm pivoted tothe lower end of the lever and having an aperture which receives thearched portion of the frame and provides biting edges, and a springattached to the lever and bearing against the locking-arm, the partsbeing organized substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM P. DAVIS.

Vitnesses:

JOSIAH FOLTZ, ADDIE MEADE.

